Electrical interconnect systems (including electronic interconnect systems) are used for interconnecting electrical and electronic systems and components. In general, electrical interconnect systems include both a projection-type interconnect component, such as a conductive pin, and a receiving-type interconnect component, such as a conductive socket. In these types of electrical interconnect systems, electrical interconnection is accomplished by inserting the projection-type interconnect component into the receiving-type interconnect component. Such insertion brings the conductive portions of the projection-type and receiving-type interconnect components into contact with each other so that electrical signals may be transmitted through the interconnect components. In a typical interconnect system, a plurality of individual conductive pins are positioned in a grid formation and a plurality of individual conductive sockets are arranged to receive the individual pins, with each pin and socket pair transmitting a different electrical signal.
Computer and telecommunication applications frequently require high density interconnect systems for transferring signals between backplanes and attached devices, for example daughter cards. The high speed signals that are transferred through such interconnects are susceptible to cross-talk due to the signal speeds and proximate locations of the signal carrying conductors adjacent to each other.
High-density electrical interconnect systems are characterized by the inclusion of a large number of interconnect component contacts within a small area. By definition, high-density electrical interconnect systems have a greater number of connections in the same space required by lower-density interconnect systems. The short signal paths associated with high-density interconnect systems allows such systems to transmit electrical signals at higher speeds. Because modern telecommunication equipment and computers require higher circuit densities, there is a need for interconnect systems to connect such higher density circuits while avoiding introducing cross-talk due to the density of the signal paths carried by such interconnect systems.
Several high-density electrical interconnect systems have been proposed such as those disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,575,688 and 5,634,821. The major drawback of such systems is that the high density has the significant drawback of inducing cross talk between signal contacts because the signal contacts are closely spaced. Cross talk is undesired signals in an electrical circuit as a result of coupling between transmission circuits. Thus, there is a need in the art for a high density electrical interconnect system that reduces or eliminates cross talk between closely spaced electrical signal contacts.